Michigan: Five abandoned purebred Siberian Huskies rescued in Lenawee County, up to a dozen more spotted. Breeder Deborah Hosler has been accused of doing it.

MICHIGAN -- At least five abandoned dogs were rescued and up to a dozen more have been reported seen wandering in the bitter cold in Lenawee County this week, but where they came from and who owned them is unknown.

As the owners of Rogers Recycling in Blissfield, Jakob and Andrea Rogers are used to finding odd objects at their center. However, around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, Jan. 4, Jakob says he came across four dogs in the road near the intersection of Gorman Road and Crockett Highway.

Blissfield is about 70 miles southwest of Detroit.

Jakob Rogers said he called 911 when he first saw the dogs because another dog had been hit and killed in the area and he didn't want it to happen again. He wasn't expecting the answer that he received.

"Basically I got a laugh and they said, 'Animal control can be there in three days if you can catch them,'" he said.

He says the dogs were in bad shape and appeared to have been searching for warmth when he came upon them. He spent about an hour getting the dogs together before loading them into his vehicle.

Once the dogs realized there was a warm car and shelter, they jumped right in, he said.

The dogs all appear to be a breed of Husky, but the exact breed is not known.

Rogers took the dogs back to his shop where he and Andrea put them in a garage to provide shelter while they figured out what to do. A few hours later, he heard about another dog in the same area and he went back to round that dog up as well.

"They're just a little bit skittish because they haven't got used to us yet," he said.

Although they've made calls to the Lenawee County Sheriff's Department, Rogers says he's yet to receive any response so he's begun working to find homes for the dogs. All five of the dogs are being cared for now at the Rogers' home, but it's taken a bit of time to get everything needed as they weren't expecting to have five new guests at the home.

Andrea Rogers said they've made beds for the dogs and brought food and water out for them as they acclimate to the garage for the time being. The oldest male has already visited a veterinarian and they plan to get a female dog - who is also pregnant - in for a visit in the coming days.

Along with the five dogs Rogers found, people in Facebook groups around Lenawee County have reported seeing or taking in dogs of similar breeds in the last day or so. But it is unknown exactly how many dogs have been found at this point.

Sightings of similar dogs have been as far apart as 10 miles from where Jakob Rogers found his group of dogs.

The Lenawee County Sheriff's Department and the LCSD Animal Control could not be reached for comment.

For now, Rogers plans on making sure the dogs are healthy while seeking out people to take them in. He says he already has two or three people who're interested in welcoming one of the dogs into their home.

"We're not going to just let them go to any home, but we're not going to sell them, either," Andrea said. "We don't want to make money off the dogs, we just want them to go to a good home."

The Rogers' plan on keeping two of the dogs themselves and giving away the puppies once they're born.

"I'm just glad that we were able to take them in and we had some place that we could put them," Andrea Rogers said.

As far as finding who the dogs belonged to, Jakob Rogers says he believes they were left on the side of the road on purpose and if the owner is found, they should be punished.

"Whoever did this, needs to be prosecuted. They need to answer for this," he said.

Update: The owner, dog breeder Deborah Lynn Hosler (Debbie Hosler), has been charged.

 

  

 

(MLive - Jan 5, 2017)